This article explains how givestar’s contactless donations technology (known as Boost Donate) is designed to keep donations safe and secure.
Contactless donations are an important tool for fundraisers looking to raise money in-person - they are fast, effective and important in a world where fewer people than ever are carrying cash.
givestar’s Boost Donate feature gives fundraisers access to take contactless donations directly with just a compatible smartphone- no card machine required.
It works by using the built-in NFC reader in your smartphone (the same one you use to make mobile payments), to turn your phone into a secure payment terminal.
It is compatible with Visa, Mastercard, Discover (US), American Express and NFC based mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
Is it secure?
- Yes, contactless donations are highly secure with givestar, and meet the highest standards for payment processing
- Boost Donate donations, through a smartphone, are just as secure as donations made through a physical card machine
- Boost donate has undergone rigorous testing and certification from our payment providers, Apple and Google to make sure all our processes for these types of donations are compliant at all levels.
- All our payment providers are fully PCI-DSS compliant and have been approved by the three main phone payment manufacturers (Apple, Google and Samsung).
- Boost Donate only works on smartphones that meet the correct security standards at a handset level. It is automatically prevented from working on phones that have been tampered with. For more information about handset compatibility, you can read more here
Is any sensitive data stored on the handset?
- Sensitive card payment details (like card numbers or PIN numbers) are never stored on the phone handset. Instead, encrypted payment information is reconciled in real time between your bank and our payment partners, in the same way most physical card terminals work.